


Rebellion, Duty, Ink, and Markings

by ashilrak



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Kinda, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattooed Harry, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 21:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4321530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashilrak/pseuds/ashilrak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Soul marks were something that everyone had, and no one knew what they were besides the fact that they had something to do with a sense of completion.</p><p>Scientists had spent years trying to get some insight into them, but nothing could ever be proved to apply to everyone. As soon as they were close to a possible discovery, it was proved incorrect. </p><p>...</p><p>Needless to say, tattoos were a very controversial subject.</p><p>Harry Hart had five of them."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rebellion, Duty, Ink, and Markings

Soul marks were something that everyone had, and no one knew what they were besides the fact that they had something to do with a sense of completion.

Scientists had spent years trying to get some insight into them, but nothing could ever be proved to apply to everyone. As soon as they were close to a possibly discovery, it was proved incorrect. 

Fate had a funny way of working, sometimes. 

In fact, a soul marks didn’t always lead to people..

Soul marks have been known to lead to ideas; F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

They weren’t taboo, but nor were they something that was shown off with pride. Some people were embarrassed by theirs. 

Needless to say, tattoos were a very controversial subject.

Harry Hart had five of them.

-

The first was one he had gotten in a fit of rebelliousness as he entered adulthood. 

It was a simple black outline of a heart over his actual heart. It was easy to hide, and it mortified his mother. 

-

The morse code on his left bicep covered the first scar he received in the line of duty.

\--. .- .-.. .- .... .- -..

Galahad

-

A tally mark covered his second scar; his first stab wound. 

It was on the right side of his rib cage, and perfectly vertical. He had simply intended to cover the scar tissue with black ink to commemorate the wound, but he had somehow decided along the way that it was a tally mark, and a second was soon added after he was once again stabbed.

There are a total of 8 tally marks on the right side of his rib cage.

His tattoo artist questioned him the first few times, as there was no scar being covered. However, after years of receiving no response, such questions were no longer asked.

-

There was a cursive L, also in black ink, below the tally marks.

It was simple gesture, in memory of Lee Unwin.

-

The tattoos, despite offending the delicate sensibilities of many, were not the most interesting marks on his body.

On the inside of his right wrist was an outline of an overlapping set of wings, with three parallel, horizontal lines extending from the side.

It was hardly the most interesting of soul marks - and it was most definitely a soul mark, having been there since he was born - but to him nothing could possibly hold more meaning.

He had looked up the possible symbolism as soon as he was old enough to understand the significance of the mark.

He discovered many possible explanations, but none of them seemed to fit.

That is, not until he found himself staring down on one Eggsy Unwin tied to a track, and caught a glimpse of the truly terrible trainers he was wearing.

Harry Hart was, first and foremost, a gentleman, and gentleman did not bring up topics such as soul marks in company when the possibility of completion existed. It was a private matter, and was to be treated as such.

He intended to bring Eggsy into his home for their shared twenty-four hours, and bring it up once they grew comfortable enough in each other’s presence.

Such a moment came rather quickly, but Harry did not want to awkwardly direct the conversation from martinis to soul marks, and so they both soon entered a pleasant state of tipsy-ness that was not conducive to such a serious topic.

Harry might have been delaying it, in fear that Eggsy’s mark lead him somewhere else. After all, he might have been mistaken - while soul marks had no boundaries, surely such an age difference was not common.

The soul mark didn’t have to mean anything, even if it did in fact lead to Eggsy, but it was the principle of the matter. 

Too quickly the night passed into morning, and breakfast was made, and Harry once again did not bring the subject up. 

He would talk to Eggsy about it after he became Lancelot. After all, the mark surely guaranteed Eggsy’s involvement with the agency.

It turns out that such a guarantee was not the case.

He might have over-reacted when Eggsy entered his home after failing to shoot the dog, it was a stupid test, and he could hardly fault him for failing it.

But it was so much more than just anger and disappointment about the title of Lancelot.

If Eggsy wasn’t meant to be a Kingsman, then maybe he wasn’t meant to be a part of Harry’s life. And that sense of calm he felt around the boy was simply self-delusion. He had seen an attractive young man, son of the recruit who had saved his life, and had seen a possible connection between him and the mark on his write, and simply lied to himself.

The anger was directed inwards, but Harry had always had such difficulty expressing emotions of any kind. It made his a wonderful spy, but a terrible everything else.

But Eggsy stood in front of him, staring at him with anger in his eyes. 

Harry couldn’t bear it.

Before he could do anything to remedy the situation, Merlin’s call came through.

-

His fifth tattoo was chosen after getting shot by Valentine.

A filled in bullet, right where his hair was shaved for surgery.

It wasn’t visible for long, but shocked many when it was. 

The most surprised by it was Eggsy. 

Harry did not expect to find Eggsy calm and collected after the news of his survival, but he had insisted on being the one to tell him. But the rage and hurt that Eggsy had displayed was far beyond his wildest imaginings. 

But more surprising than the extent of Eggsy’s negative response, was his positive one. He had frozen mid-yell, and his expression had transformed from anger to shock and joy with no warning.

Before Harry could begin to question him, he found himself with arms full of Eggsy Unwin, and a hand in his hair. 

Time passed with them standing there, holding eachother close. Eggsy laughing, and Harry confused but pleased.With a kiss on the cheek, Eggsy stepped back from a surprised Harry, and started to remove his jacket and untuck his shirt.

Whatever protests Harry had were never verbalized as he saw that the same bullet that was tattooed onto his skull was marked into the skin on Eggsy’s hip, with the words “Happy Valentine’s Day” above it.

Without thinking, Harry’s hand went to touch it, and Eggsy’s hand returned to his hair.

Their gazes met, and so did their lips.

Eggsy was very pleased to say that Harry Hart did not kiss like a gentleman.

Now, under his hair, and under Eggsy’s clothing, that bullet remained their secret.

-

And if Harry asked for the remains of the bullet back from the forensics department, and had it framed and placed on his desk in his study, no one had to know.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> This is the first thing I've published for Kingsman, so I'm a bit nervous. 
> 
> Fanfiction Tumblr: kookookarli.tumblr.com  
> Personal Tumblr: steverogerscouldgetit.tumblr.com


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